Roller-bearing.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

\VILLIAM BRADFORD ALLEN, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PREMIER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ROLLER-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION fOrming part f Letters Patent No. 627,962, dated July 4, 1899.

4 Application filed November 26, 1897. Serial No. 659,727. (No model.)

To ctllwtom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM BRADFORD.

ALLEN, a citizen'of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hart- 5 ford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Bearings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use 1o the same. l

My invention relates to wheels adapted more especially for use on light road-vehicles, as wagons, carts, and the like, although it may be equally applied to wheels of other vehicles; and the object of my invention is to provide a ball-bearing wheel simple of construction, durable, and with bearings well protected from dust, and having means for retaining the parts in any desired position of v 2o adjustment.

To this end my invention consists in the device as a whole and in details entering into the constructiomas hereinafter described,and more particularly pointed out in the claims. Referring to the drawings, Figure lis a view in central `vertical section through a wheel,

showing my improved construction with the axle-arm broken away; Fig. 2 is a detail view in cross-section through the device just 3o in front of the cone-key. v

My invention is illustrated and describedl herein in connection with the well-known type of suspension-wheel, although certain features of the construction are equally applicable to Wheels of other types.

In the accompanying drawings the letter ct 'denotes an axle arm or support for a wheel or like part, and b the hub of a wheel. At the inner end of the axle-arm a cone c is sup- 4o ported, resting against a shoulder on the arm, and at the' outer end of the arm a cone d is supported. The ends of the hub b are enlarged, and at the inner ends of the enlarged portions are located ball-cases e e'. Recesses f are formed in the walls of the enlarged portions of the hub of the wheel, in which heads g of spokes g are located. These recesses are preferably so formed that the spokes will project in a straight line from the head there- 5o of to the rim of the Wheel. Retaining\vasl1 ers h are attached to the ballcases e e', this Washer holding the balls securely in place when the axle-Wheel is removed from the hub, as for the purpose of lubricating or cleaning.

A dust-capt'is secured to each end ofthe hub, 55 as by means of interengaging screw-threads,

a shoulder on the cap-.lying against the end of the hub and an inward-projecting flange c" completely inclosing the recesses f Within the hub. By means of this construction the 6o spokes may be readily inserted in the hub, the absence of any bend adding to the durability of the wheel as a Whole, and the inclosing of the heads within the hub aiords a sure means of protection from the breaking of the head and the consequent loosening of the spokes.

The cone d is supported on the outer end of the axle-arm and is held against rotation by means of a cone-key la. This key is of angu-4 7o lar shape, preferably L or T, one part being located in a key-slot a in the axle-arm and another part in al radialopening through the cone, which part lnay be riveted or headed into a countersunk recess in the cone. An adjusting-bolt Z tits a threaded openingin the end of the axle-arm and is used for the purpose of adjusting the ball-bearings, and a locking-bolt fm fits a threaded opening through lthe adjusting-bolt, the inner end of the lock- 8o ing-bolt thrusting against the bottom of the socket in the end of the axle. In a construction of parts in which a cone is accurately 1ocated with reference to the ball-case to secure the proper adjustment of the bearings by meansof interengaging screw-threads there is a'liability in the revolution of the balls in the ball-race and about the cone to rotate the cone, 'thus loosening or tightening the bearing of the cone against the balls. struction above described this fault is entirely obviated, the cone having no rotary movement whatever and being held in its position of adjustment by means of the adj usting-bolt Z, and with the angular key having a part located in the groove in the axle the cone must always be inserted on the spindle in the same position and maintained in this position at all times.

An important feature of my invention reroo sides in locating the cone-key so that it shall project to or beyond the surface ofthat side In the con- 9o f; l Y 627,962

of the cone facing inward on the axle-arm, as

y clearly shown in Fig. l loii the drawingsin this instance the face of the cone. This construction of parts insures the insertion of the key in the key-slot d in order to locate the cone on the axle-arm to any extent Whatever. An objection has been found to a construction where the key islocated within the central opening in the cone and at a distance from the end of said opening from lthe fact that the cone may be placed on the axle with the key lying against the end of the arm instead of in the key-slot. The bolt being now screwed to place with the parts in this position results in breaking or shearing off the key. By my improved construction such a result is prevented, no matter how careless or inexperienced the Workman.

An L-shaped key has been shown and described herein as embodying the preferred form of the invention; but my invention is present in any form of device in which the key is so arranged that it must be located in the slot at the same time as or before the cone is placed on the axle to any extent Whatever.

I claim as rny-inventionl. In combination with a wheel or like part arranged for ball-bearings, an axle-arm and a cone supported thereon, one of said parts having a groove extending to the end thereof, and the opposite part having a radialopening, an angular-shaped key with one branch extending into said opening and the other branch adapted to enter sai d groove and with its end extending to the surface of that side of 1 its supporting part first engaging With the 0pposite part, and means for holding the cone in position.

2. In combination with a wheel or like part arranged for ball-bearings, an axle-arm having a groove extending to the end thereof, a cone adapted to be supported by said axlearm, an angularshaped key having one branch extendingr into a radial opening in the cone and another branch adapted to enter the groove in the axle-arm and with its end extending to the surface of that side ofthe cone facing inward on theaxle-arm, and means for holding the cone in position.

WILLIAM BRADFORD ALLEN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR B. JENKINS, GRACE E. METCALF. 

